


War Games

by sailaway



Series: My Yautja Boyfriend [2]
Category: Alien vs Predator (2004), Predator, Predator (1987), Predator 2 (1990), Predator Series, Predators (2010)
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Alien/Human Relationships, F/M, Hunters & Hunting, Interspecies, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Yautja
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 13:33:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14238378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailaway/pseuds/sailaway
Summary: Was it her own steps she heard? Kate stopped short. Did her imagination conjure up rustling behind her? Or was it above? The fine hairs on her arms stood up, the remnants of a primal awareness as old as time: she was being watched.





	War Games

**Author's Note:**

> Can be read solo.

 

* * *

 

Being hunted was an experience few humans were privy to. At least in this modern era. The sensation was difficult to describe: every muscle was strung taut, on edge, adrenaline bringing everything into sharper definition. Colors were brighter, sounds were louder. No physical movement was wasted, each step on the leaf litter taken with caution.

Kate felt the echo of her primordial ancestors as she crept through the undergrowth, bowing her head to avoid being smacked in the face by the tough leaves and stalks. She found it difficult to move at all, so intense was the instinct to freeze, but she pushed past it just as she did the dense foliage. This was not a place to hide, or rest. Nearby was a waterfall, and the crashing water drowned out anything that might alert her to the presence of a follower.

A ridge of land extended away from the falls and it was this she kept to, trying to keep at least some protection to one side. She might have climbed up in in search of cooler air, if she wasn't concerned about being spotted – the air down here was so muggy it was like breathing through a wet rag. Already strands were coming loose from her practical French braid and sticking to her temple.

The incessant drone of insects rose up in chorus, punctuated by an occasional strange, piercing call – she hoped the high pitch meant whatever it originated from was small. The trees soared to dizzying heights, and she didn't know what manner of creatures might be skulking in the branches.

In this alien place her alertness was upped to a near-painful degree. It was the unknown that honed unease to razor-sharp fear.

She was familiar enough with wild places. In her life before, as she now thought of it, she'd been an avid hiker and was adept at bushcraft and survival skills. But these did not necessarily translate to worlds that didn't adhere to the laws of nature as she'd always known them.

She'd been released here at sunrise and it was now midday, the twin suns directly above; though she couldn't quite see them, only the shadows from what light managed to filter through the canopy. At first she'd been interested in the exercise Solar proposed to her – if he wanted to spend his shore leave teaching advanced navigation on this backwater planet, who was she to refuse his idea of fun? And she'd warmed to the idea of visiting somewhere new, of being surrounded by green and organic life after so long in the ship's synthetic confines.

But her enthusiasm was waning. He'd equipped her with only a wristband like a scaled down version of his gauntlet, a canister of water, and her knife, assuring her there were no large predators to fear on the small planet... but her gut was telling her something different.

Was it her own steps she heard? She stopped short. Did her imagination conjure up rustling behind her? Or was it above? The fine hairs on her arms stood up, the remnants of a primal awareness as old as time: she was being watched.

It was unnerving enough to be in the vicinity of an Earth animal like a cougar or bear, but she knew how to deal with those. Bears rarely attacked unless surprised, and cougars hunted by stalking so if you aggressively let it know you knew it was there, it lost the element of surprise and often backed off.

This was a different kind of predator entirely.

Almost casually she slipped behind a wide tree, taking a knee in the shelter of its buttress roots while she thought. Her breath came short and fast, blood pumping in her ears as she pretended to rest, taking a sip from her water canister. For now she felt it better not to let her pursuer know she was aware of it.

She couldn't hear anything now, aside from the white noise of the jungle. Maybe she'd just let her paranoia get the better of her.

Maybe not.

Kate slotted the canister back on her utility belt and brought up the hologram from her wristband. In shades of glowing blue it showed a map of the region, with a tiny red diamond to indicate her destination. There were several possible routes to reach it from where she'd been dropped and she supposed that was part of the lesson, to choose the most efficient option. She oriented herself via the yautja equivalent of a compass hovering in the bottom right, trying to remember the symbols. She was having to learn navigation all over again.

The sounds around her were blurring together now; because she was too on edge, or too inexperienced to distinguish one foreign sound from another, she couldn't be sure. She let her eyes drift shut for a moment and inhaled deeply. She could focus. Forebrain ruled hindbrain.

Before she could overthink it, she stood and set her feet into motion once more.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Solar's steps were all but silent on the cushioned, mossy ground. In the interest of fairness, he did not activate the locator signal on Kate's wristband. That was only for if she got lost and didn't make it to the checkpoint.

The squawks of the avians in the canopy above veiled any footfalls or snapping twigs he might have detected. His prey was capable of climbing – not so well as him, but climb nonetheless, so he kept his attention focused not just on the ground but in the lower reaches of the twisting trees.

He scaled one deftly when he neared a rise in the topography, settling in a fork in the branches a third of the way up the gnarled trunk. He flipped his bio-mask visuals to advanced motion-tracking. With so much wildlife, and the air so hot, it gave a slight edge over thermal mode. Besides, he knew the way his quarry moved.

This was his element, not unlike the tropical jungles of his home planet he'd explored and trained in as a youth. His body was perfectly adapted for the humidity, and his olive-green and brown coloring camouflaged him against the foliage. The atmosphere felt right in his lungs, no filtration necessary. The bugs, though, he had not missed.

There was movement to his left and he sank his claws into the bark and swung out, training his attention in that direction – but it was only a mass of winged insects, moving as one in a tight cloud and appearing deceptively larger in his optics.

The trees were close enough together that he could leap from one to another with ease, pausing now and then to scan his surroundings. His prey was smaller than himself, but crafty, in the way she had to be in order to have a prayer of eluding such a hunter. He'd permitted her a generous head start, in order to at least somewhat level the odds and make the sport worthy. There was no honor - or fun - if the chase was over too soon.

He detached his mask, hooking it on his belt and letting the air linger over the olfactory receptors on his tongue and the roof of his mouth. There was the soil's damp richness, crisp greenery, redolent blooms, the warmth of mammalian fauna – he concentrated to isolate the particular note he sought. No wind aided him in detecting its exact origins, but as he continued his journey through the trees he was able to find the traces left behind, winding along the forest floor like a light trail in his mind's eye.

He paused once more, replacing his mask and switching to thermal mode. His vision crowded with color but he was interested only in a distinctive red silhouette. The movements were both cautious and purposeful, neither the ambling of a herbivore or the confident stride of a predator.

He dropped to the ground, crouching to absorb the impact. As if aware of a pursuer, the figure veered away from the protection of the high ridge of land. The temperature increased further down in the shallow valley, owing to steam from the numerous hot springs, and as Solar followed, gusts of heated air obscured his thermal vision.

It was logical distraction his quarry had made, and Solar respected that. He reverted to motion tracking and cloaked himself.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The air was as thick and cloying as a sauna, steam billowing from the pools like dry ice. They became closer together as she moved, the stable ground between them more and more marshy and uneven. Kate's boots squelched, the water almost too hot to touch.

She could not see her pursuer but she swore there were eyes on her. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. The animal calls had quieted, as if they too sensed a predator in their midst. It was unlikely she could outrun it, or cross to the other side of the valley unseen.

On impulse she plunged into a wide pool, inhaling sharply at the scalding water. She'd never even liked Jacuzzis. She grit her teeth and bent her knees to the spongy bottom, sinking up to her chin and trying not to think about the bacteria or parasites that might be lurking. But the chase had awakened a burning competitive streak.

She sank a little deeper, leaving her nose above the water's surface. She turned to face the way she'd come and remained still. If she was very, very careful and attentive she might be able to spot his outline. She watched for moving plants, or swaying vines, or a silhouette in the swirling steam. She reached for the knife in her belt, pulling it out slowly to as not to cause ripples. Her heart beat out a rapid tattoo.

There was a blur in her peripheral vision and then she was ripped out of the water by one shoulder, flung belly-first on a patch of ground. She sucked in a strangled gasp and rotated her wrist to stab blindly backward with her knife – but a massive hand slammed her arm into the muck, armored shins pinning her elbows down.

Above her head came the unmistakable metallic sound of unsheathing _dah'kte_ , and despite the heat her gut tightened with cold fear as the flat side-edge of the blade slid across her shoulders. She tried to get her knees underneath her to give her some leverage, but the assailant settled onto her back to trap her. She clenched her jaw against the discomfort, grunting in frustration, toes of her boots furrowing the mud.

Abruptly she exhaled, exaggerated and wheezing, and went slack. Her face lolled forward into the mire, eyes closed but still stinging with it, one corner of her mouth exposed so she could breathe – slow, shallow, only just enough. She felt the _dah'kte_ lift her braid.

A gravelly rattle resonated. "I know you are faking."

He shifted his knees off her arms and relieved her of the knife – she kept her fingers limp – and ran his palm down her spine, from nape to where his spread thighs pinned her. He allowed a little more of his weight to press down. A zip of adrenaline raced along her skin as her lungs compressed, her bones protesting the burden. Her water canister dug uncomfortably into her hip. _Patience._

Sooner than she expected he rose off her, retracting the wristblades and rolling her over. It was an effort in zen to remain lifeless, lips parted and limbs flopping, not letting her eyelids flutter in response to the light. She could visualize the suspicious tilt of his head, switching through his bio-mask's vision settings as he examined her. Impossible as it was to stop her pounding heart, she could at least restrict her breathing even further, stopping her chest from rising and falling... as if she'd been crushed into unconsciousness.

Uncertainty won, and he leaned over...

Kate surged upwards and seized a handful of his tresses in both fists. He roared, bowing concave over her as she yanked, swiftly letting go with one hand and pulling harder with the other as she fumbled for the knife that lay just out of reach – a snarl of pain hissed out of him as he forced one forearm onto her neck. The breadth of the gauntlet forced her head back, the equipment heavy on her windpipe. The merciless slanting gaze of the mask stared down at her, demanding submission she wasn't ready to give. She grappled with him but found only armor beneath her nails and he pushed harder on her throat, waiting.

“ _H'chak!_ ” Kate panted, before she could pass out for real. _Mercy._ “I yield, I yield.”

He considered a moment, then drew back on his haunches. She sucked in air, coughing, and he extended a hand – she took it and pulled herself upright. Her braid was half loose now and she pushed sopping hair from her forehead, spitting out swamp water.

“That was a dishonest trick,” Solar opined.

“I exploited what I could,” she laughed. “Besides, it was not fair to begin with.” She rapped the side of his bio-mask with one knuckle. “You had this.”

“The hunt is not always fair.” He angled his head towards her, arms resting on his knees. “At times one encounters an enemy with greater advantage than you.”

Her shrug was deliberately nonchalant. “Exactly.”

The tension in his frame dissipated, and he reached to remove his mask. The subtle extension of his lower mandibles was an affable acknowledgment, the two of them taking each other in, and he rolled his neck.

“Why were you afraid?” he clicked, brow furrowed in curiosity. “You knew it was only me.”

“I wanted to win,” she rebutted. She may not have made it to the checkpoint before he caught her, but her progress was nothing to sniff at, either. “Besides, I don't know what else could be out there.”

“You did not believe me, when I assured you there was nothing to harm you?”

The twist of her mouth was wry. “I'm not sure.”

Solar considered that, then barked out a chuckle. “That is wise.”

“Wise to not trust you, or wise to be always aware?”

He pretended to ponder, but then he relented, tawny eyes creasing. “The latter.”

Kate's pliant hair was dripping water from the ends, the caked mud contrasting more against her smooth, mono-toned skin than his own dark patterning. She was what she would call “a mess.” Solar thought she looked utterly striking.

The excitement of the hunt and that of arousal were separate and unrelated. Conflating them seemed almost... obscene. But as he'd straddled his ooman, felt her stubborn struggling beneath him and watched her eyes flash, he couldn't help but want to sink his hands into her fierce little body and claim pleasure as his trophy.

He rocked back on his heels, observing as she knelt over the pool and rinsed her arms. Her wet garments were plastered to her shape, and her own light natural scent blended with that of plant matter and rich earth and coppery minerals from the spring water. As if she were now part of the jungle itself.

“Stop.” He reached out, stilling her hands. Her clear, questioning eyes seemed almost as reflective as the water's surface. Something carnal unfurled inside him. “Leave it.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The shuttle's bunk was narrow, made for one. Human woman sat astride yautja male, the hands of both rough with drying mud. Their shared breathing was erratic, her skin damp and all but glowing in the negligible light, sodden clothes in a heap on the floor.

His arm was a vice around her waist as she rode him, the other braced on the thin mattress, his hips meeting the undulating roll of hers. The only sounds were the moans in her throat and the rasp in his and the quiet hum of the shuttle's electric systems. She clutched his shoulders, forehead pressing to his; even in the height of his passion his mandibles remained firmly closed to avoid scratching her delicate face.

She shuddered in his embrace, clinging to him, lips dragging wet on his neck; and he tasted wilderness in her climax.

 

 

* * *

 

 

On the other side of the planet was a mid-sized spaceport. It was higher in elevation and the mild breeze relieved the heat, even after descending from the hilltop landing pads into the bazaar.

They passed storefronts boasting myriad gadgets and provisions, a wagon crammed with baskets of root vegetables, a trio of whip-thin aliens arguing over something aromatic sizzling in a deep pan. At intervals narrow bridges arched over the streets, and hanging from the railings were netted bundles and spare ship parts and signs directing passersby to tucked away bars and brothels.

Kate attracted some glances. Out in these far-flung reaches of space, human presence was vanishingly rare, or so Solar had told her – she wondered about the other scant handful of others wandering through the stars – but the port was a busy place with multiple species moving about and so the attention wasn't egregious.

A squat shopkeeper with a pleasant face not unlike a manatee's called something out as they passed, with an emphatic gesture at Kate. Solar paused, listening through his mask's translator.

“What does she want?” Kate queried.

“Your hair,” he grumbled, guiding her away with a hand on her lower back, but Kate resisted.

“What for?” Her hair hung freely, wavy from the braid and not quite dry, and she toyed with the ends. “Did she name a good price?”

Though she knew the shopkeeper couldn't understand her words, the language of bargaining was near universal, and the being patted a fat, jingling coin pouch at her side.

Solar stepped between Kate and the stall. “Why would you take her offer?”

“Maybe I want to buy something.”

“Name it and it is yours.”

She squinted up at him, haloed by light, the suns still high in the sky despite the time that had passed. “Human hair grows back, you know that, right?”

Solar's mask was impassive. “I prefer it how it is.”

She compressed her lips to tamp down her smile. She knew that very well.

“It's never been so long before,” she mused aloud, brushing past him. The stall was laden with what appeared to be personal accessories and adornments – tiny pots of colorful powder, chunky jewelry, sashes and scarves, a cage apparatus that resembled a headdress. Were wigs a thing here? Would a human hair wig fetch a high price?

“It kind of gets in my way. Maybe cut it to... here... ” She made a vague slashing motion at her ears.

The shopkeeper burbled with enthusiasm. From behind, Solar's fingers curled over Kate's shoulders.

“I would not have you alter yourself in order to provide for your wants,” he stated, choosing his words with more care than usual.

She arranged her expression into one of innocence before turning, his hands lifting to allow her to move then resettling back into position. She tipped her head up, beaming with feigned reassurance.

“It's just hair,” she promised. “It's nothing special to me. No great loss. Right...?”

She pulled her hair forward, running her fingers through it, replicating what he had done not long ago in the shuttle. She would've loved to see his face beneath the mask.

When he responded, it was with both strain and detachment. “It is yours to do with as you wish, but it would not be my choosing.”

“Why not?” She could barely conceal her grin.

“I – ” Then he broke off, chest expanding in indignation. “You goad me!”

He dropped his hands, stepping back, then returned and crossed his arms.

“There has been much trickery from you this day,” he said darkly.

Kate shook her head in apologetic rejection at the shopkeeper as they continued along the main thoroughfare, Solar's posture stiff.

“I wanted to hear you say it,” Kate teased. A shrouded figure pushing a wheelbarrow of computer components veered out of a side street, momentarily separating them, and when they drifted back together she looped a hand through his elbow.

“And what is that?”

“That you like my hair too much to part with it.”

“Such vanity!” he accused, though there was no edge to it. “As if you don't already know. Are my attentions not enough? Do you demand more worship from me?”

Spontaneously she pulled him down a covered alley between two food carts, the passageway so cramped he almost had to duck. She tugged his bio-mask off – he startled, almost jerking back, his shadowed features skeptical.

“Open,” she requested, touching his folded tusks with a fingertip. He acquiesced. Terrifying as he looked with his mandibles fully flared she snaked her arm around his neck, stretched up on tiptoe, and kissed the soft pink ridges behind his fangs. She rarely did this – it was graceless, their mouths were not made to fit – but the urge for the intimate gesture overrode that.

Solar was typically reserved regarding public displays of affection. Whether such discretion was standard for his race or just his own personality trait, she wasn't yet sure. But now he cupped her cheek with one hand, and purred, and it vibrated against her lips.

“I want another round,” Kate said as she drew back. The way he regarded her made her think they'd had a language mishap. “What, you didn't have fun? I thought I could try the exercise again. Different route.”

“Oh, you think you can best me this time?” He huffed in amusement at the challenge. “I am willing. There is time yet before nightfall. Though for a moment I thought you spoke of... a more personal diversion.”

She picked up on his meaning and reddened, tonguing at the inside of her cheek. “Who says we can't manage both?”

His eyes gleamed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They ate and drank, and she put her dirty clothes on again. No need to soil her clean set.

“Don't use your mask this time,” Kate prompted, glancing slyly at Solar from the passenger seat. Below the ship, the grassland near the port had given way to jungle once more, a carpet of brilliant living green. “Unless you can't cope without it.”

“You think yourself very wily to provoke me so,” he remarked serenely, guiding the ship down from the stratosphere toward a patch of meadow wide enough to land. “If you insist on obstructing me, you must make it worth my while.”

Her lips made a moue of agreement as the craft came to a smooth rest on the forest floor.

She rebraided her hair while he examined the map and programmed new coordinates into her wristband, and as she filled her water canister from the tank in back she stole glimpses of him strapping on his equipment. She liked that ritual almost as much as she liked watching him take it all off.

“So,” he said over his shoulder, tresses swinging, “What do you propose to entice me into forgoing such a valuable tool?”

She came around in front of Solar and held out her hand, and he set her knife in it, sleek handle first. His claws grazed her palm. She looked up at him through her lashes.

“Catch me and find out.”

 

 

* * *

 

 


End file.
